Moments of Exhilaration

Relying on God's Power

2011-08-07T13:40:00.001-05:00

Excerpt from the New York Times Bestseller "Radical" by David Platt...

"I was in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, teaching in an Indonesian seminary. Before they graduate, the students in this seminary are required to plant a church, with at least thirty new, baptized believers, in a Muslim community... It was a privilege getting to know these students and listening to their stories. One brother, Raden, shared his testimony. With a fiery look in his eye and an intense tone in his voice, he said, "Before I became a Christian, I was a fighter. I learned ninja, jujitsu, and a variety of other techniques for taking people down."

I nodded. I was making a mental note: Don't mess with Raden.

He continued, "One day I was sharing the gospel in an unreached village with people who had never heard of Jesus. I was in one house sharing Christ with the family, and the witch doctor from the village came to the house." Witch doctors and magic men are common in villages like these. They hold sway over entire communities with their curses and incantations.

"The witch doctor called me out," Raden said. "He wanted me to fight him." Raden smiled as he confessed, "My first thought was to walk out there and take the witch doctor down. But when I turned to go outside, the Lord told me that I no longer need to do the fighting. God would do the fighting for me."

Raden recounted what happened next. "As the witch doctor attempted to speak, he began to gasp for air. He was choking and couldn't breathe. People came running to see what was wrong, and within a few minutes the witch doctor had fallen over dead."

By now the entire village crowded around the scene. Raden said, "I had never seen anything like this, and I didn't know what to do. But then I thought, 'I guess this is a good time to preach the gospel.'" Raden smiled and said, "So that's what I did, and many people in the village trusted in Christ for the first time that day."

Now , I'm not recommending this as a new church-growth methodology. Making pronouncements on people that lead to their deaths just doesn't seem to be the best was to go about things. But this story was a clear reminder to me that two thousand years ago when believers proclaimed the name of Jesus, it caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise. The name of Jesus had the power to cause evil spirits to flee and to bring the most hardened hearts to God. And the reality is, two thousand years later the power of Jesus' name is still great.

The question for us, then, is whether we trust in his power. And the problem for us is that in our culture we are tempted at every turn to trust in our own power instead. So the challenge for us is to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide (pgs 43-45)."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

John 15:5

God Came Through, Again

2011-02-23T17:01:00.000-06:00

Through all the complications and transportation issues, I knew that if this were from God for me to attend, then I would have to remain patient with Him until all the pieces fell together perfectly; and they did. After about a month of prayer and guidance on whether or not this was my time to attend, God came through and yesterday I ordered my admission ticket for the 2011 Passion Conference in Ft. Worth in April. For those of you who are unaware of this conference, it is an 18-25 year old, weekend conference that is held once a year and consists of some of the most prolific speakers and worship leaders of the entire country. Fortunately, money was not an issue, but what was were the transportation and lodging dilemmas that hindered me from going. I knew in my heart that if I were to go, and it was meant for me to attend, then God would have to align everything together perfectly and He definitely did more than just that. This will be my first time to be a part of this incredible experience and I'm more than excited and anxious for this opportunity. Of what I know now, a few of the speakers consist of Louie Giglio, John Piper, and Francis Chan while worship will be led by Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels, & Kristian Stanfill w/ a special appearance by Lecrae. I'm simply amazed by how God orders my steps and how He never ceases to provide when I need Him most. This life isn't about me. I'm not here to meet my personal and selfish needs. God wants a genuine relationship with each of us and I'm more than ready for this conference to fuel my fire for God even more. All I can ask is for your prayers. For my heart to be prepared for this event and wide open to God's word. I do know that I can be reached by God just as much in my very own room as I can at this conference, I'm just extremely grateful for this chance to a part of something that will change my life forever. Below is the 2011 Passion Conference Promo Video, so check it out. Thank you all for your prayers.

"I could play the background..."

2010-12-08T17:09:00.000-06:00

I could play the background.
Because I know sometimes I get in the way.
So won't you take the lead?
And I can play the background,
And you can take the lead.

It's evident You run the show so let me back down.
You take the leading role, and I'll play the background.
I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines.
I'm sticking to Your script, and I'm reading all Your signs.
I don't need my name in lights, I don't need a starring role.
And why gain the whole wide world, if I'm just going to lose my soul?
And my ways aren't purified, I'll live according to Your Word.
I can't endure this life without Your wisdom being heard.
So word to every dancer for a pop star
Because we all play the background, but mine's a rock star.
Yeah, so if You need me I'll be stage right.
Praying the whole world will start embracing stage fright.
So let me fall back and stop giving my suggestions
Because when I follow my obsessions I end up confessing.
That I'm not that impressive, matter of fact I'm
A trail of star dust leading to the superstar.

I had a dream that I was captain of my soul.
I was master of my fate, lost control, and then I sank.
So I don't want to take the lead because I'm prone to make mistakes.
All these folks that follow me are going to end up in the wrong place.
So, just let me shadow You. And just let me trace Your lines.
Matter fact just take my pen. Here, You create my rhymes.
Because if I do this by myself I'm scared that I'll succeed.
And no longer trust in You, because I only trust in me.
And see, that's how you end up headed to destruction.
Paving a road to nowhere. Pour your life out for nothing.
You pulled my card, I'm bluffing
You know what's in my hand.
Me I just roll to trust You, to cause the dice to land.
I'm in control of nothing. Follow You at any cost.
Some call it sovereign will, all I know is You the boss.
And man I'm so at ease. I'm so content.
I play the background like it's an instrument.

I know I'm safest when I'm in Your Will and trust Your Word.
And I know I'm dangerous when I trust myself; my vision ~~blurred~~.
And I don't have time to play life's foolish games.
Got plenty aims but do they really glorify Your name?
And its a shame the way I want to do these things for You, yeah.
Don't even cling to You. Take time to sit and glean from You.
And its seems that You are patient in my ignorance.
If ignorance is bliss, its because she never heard of this.

I could play the background.
Because I know sometimes I get in the way.
So won't You take the lead?

Blessed

2010-11-16T17:52:00.000-06:00

Somedays I tend to take my blessings for granted. I tend to overlook all of what God has blessed me with. How can I be so selfish? These past few months I have been more favored than ever and I occasionally am self-blinded by my personal distractions. Financially, God has met my every need for not only school, but for personal needs and a new car as well. I've been blessed with new friends and continue to grow with the old ones. I haven't struggled through studio like some of my fellow peers, I've been able to manage my time in such a hectic period, I just recently have been blessed with a second job which is extremely opportunistic and have also been asked to mentor a 13 year boy as he faces his most critical times in his life at such an age. We as Christians were placed on this earth to be "reflectors" & "deflectors" of God's grace and to honor God, and none of my recent, personal accomplishments would have ever taken place without the blessing of Jesus Christ. I am not here to brag about my blessings but to give God all of the glory and cannot wait to see what God has in store for me in these next few months. We all need to daily thank God for our tremendous blessings and ask for His forgiveness for when we overlook the wealth that He as placed upon our lives. These isn't a day that goes by in my life that God hasn't been touched by His hand in some way or another, I just might not always realize it. Never give up faith when times are rough and everything seems to be negative. Your favor will come and continue to flow through for the rest of your life.

"For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield."
Psalm 5:12

My Inspiration

2010-09-28T17:32:00.000-05:00

One day my hope is to be a successful and practical, modern architect. What interests me most is modern residential architecture. Everything in me wants to specialize in this subject of architecture; to design and create such structures that a family can live both comfortably and sophisticatedly within. Our generation is constantly evolving. Old becoming new, vintage becoming sterilized, and technology becoming unbelievably smarter. Ever since I was in the 7th grade, my being has been drawn to homes. Unique homes; ones where you can't help but stare just to realize how incredible that architect designed that particular structure.

There's just something that intrigues myself to be able to drive by a house like one of the above and say that I built that. That I spent hard hours drafting, creating, and designing a home for a family and know that they will be more than just happy with it, but also look forward to living in it each and every day for the rest of their lives.

Dwell Magazine is definitely one of my favorites. Every page can easily become an inspiration and continues to support my decision of becoming an architect. A goal of mine is for one of my structures to be displayed in Dwell one day. Maybe that's a ridiculous and far-fetched goal, but I don't care.

God only knows what I'll specialize in, but as of now, residential architecture is where my interest lies. I see myself as a very clean and well organized person, and I want to display my personality in each and every one of my structures, whatever they may be. Yeah it's only my first semester in this program, but I have been planning my career and goals in this area for over 6 years now and I would want nothing more than to have these plans fall into place perfectly. But we'll see how it goes, I've got a few more years ahead of me to finalize this all out. But as of now, this is it. This is me.

The Effects of Music

2010-09-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

   What is it about music that we're all drawn to? Everyone has their own style that they prefer and each person's individual taste is unique. For example, a few of my most favorite artists at the moment are John Mayer, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Neon Trees, Lil Wayne, and Needtobreathe. My range of likeness varies from Alternative to Rock and everything in between except Country (just a little too over dramatic for me, but no offense to those who enjoy it). But just because those artists are at the top of my list today, doesn't mean they will be in a year, or next week. Style and taste changes constantly.
   Music has evolved drastically in the past 20 years of my life. Music used to be, and still is in some cases, good. But quality artists and bands are slowly diminishing with the fight for "one-hit-wonders" and quick money-makers. Today I realize that a song doesn't sell unless it has some sort of sexual tie. Listeners connect to music through personal connection and how many of us are actually living the "clubbin' life" every weekend we can? The songs about one night stands, continuous dating problems, and overly dramatic love lives consume our popular radio stations 24/7. Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of "time worth spent artists" out there, just some are hidden more than others under the overly played, sometimes ridiculous music. Why are we attracted to artists such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, and Adam Lambert? What makes them so excessively popular to today's generation? What happened to music like that of Frant Sinatra, Miles Davis, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley? Today music is about money. Whatever it takes to make a below average hit and get rich quick. Radio stations also destroy likability of fairly decent tracks by over playing them and diminishing their value, thus making a once good song annoying because of the amount of times you hear it throughout the week.
   But as our world's standards of music quality drastically decreases, I commend those who truly search and find simply good music. Music that rips at your emotions and puts you in several ranges of moods whenever you listen to a certain genre. Music was meant to inspire you, lift you up, connect to the most personal feelings a human can have, and reach down into your soul without speaking a single word. Lyrics are supposed to be thought out, written for a very reason, and expressed through an artist as he or she exemplifies their deepest and darkest secrets to reach out and connect to the common public. What would life be like without music? How dull would our world be if our source of self expression was not filled with music? Whatever artist you prefer, dive into their work. Completely consume yourself into their words so that you can truly feel how they feel. Let it take you away from whatever stress or distractions you're going through at that very moment even if it is for a split second. Music changes lives and if nothing else, can simply inspire a local want-to-be artist to take their next step to become the next Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin. Music is everywhere around us, so don't fight it.

A New Chapter Begins..

2010-08-20T21:14:00.000-05:00

Monday, the 23rd of August, is when college as I know it changes dramatically. Last year I attended a much smaller university than that compared to the University of Oklahoma. This school is huge. This school is massive. The kind of school that makes you feel extremely left out if you're not careful. Is this what I really want to do? Of course it is. I couldn't be more excited and anticipated to begin this 5 year journey to my dream career: a Practical Modern Architect.

Ever since I was in the 7th grade, this goal of mine was established in a small class known as "Technology Education." In there, we were introduced to a computer software where we were asked to design (to the best that we could) and build a residential home. Creativity was endless in that course. I wanted to design the most sophisticated and appealing house out of the entire class. Weird for a 14 year old? Maybe. But ever since that year I've stuck to my guns and really feel this is a call from God for me to accomplish this as my career.

Monday is when the term "architecture" comes into blunt reality and sticks with me each and every day until 2015 when I walk across that stage and I'm handed my diploma. I know this is going to be tough and I know this is going to test every aspect of academics that my mind and body can handle, both physically and mentally, but I have to stick with this no matter how difficult and intimidating it may become. Monday is when I get my head completely wrapped around anything and everything that has to do with design, creativity, structures, drafting, and perfection. I can only continue to pray that this is God's will for my life and to ask Him to give me the utmost strength and perseverance to push through any wall and barrier that I might come in contact with in the next 5 years. I've got to fight through every "creativity block" and project hump to prepare me for the real world. I also want to be able to manage my time in order to accommodate both my academic and social life.

Right now is when I have to get mentally focused for what Monday morning will bring. What this year will bring and what the next 5 years will bring. This is when I get it done, buckle down, push through, and fight with everything in me to satisfy this God-given desire to become an Architect. Monday is when this new chapter in my life begins and I'm more than ready for it.

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

-Michael Jordan

The Consumption of Sports

2010-08-09T00:20:00.000-05:00

   I've been especially drawn to sports this year more than most. Ever since I was six I've enjoyed playing basketball and on occasions, football and soccer. But this year, sports have been nothing like they've ever before. What makes this entertainment so entertaining? Is it just a guy thing or are there just as many women out there yearning for the next event that will take up some time of their life? We live for the moment and anxiously wait for the next sport to introduce itself immediately after one sport's season ends. We can often get immensely carried away.
   This summer, for one month, televisions across the globe were lined with "band-wagon" soccer fans as we were amazed and intrigued by every 2010 FIFA World Cup match. Nothing gave me more goosebumps than after Landon Donovan's Algeria goal in stoppage time. Countries are honestly brought closer together than ever before because of a simple sporting event. What makes this event so special? What keeps us coming back for more after every game to watch the next?
   Men's college sports consume me during the football and basketball seasons and no one expected to watch the Oklahoma Sooners' entire season without Sam Bradford. But how would the National Championship truly ended up if Colt McCoy never had gotten injured that first half of game? Sports are always filled with "what ifs" and "if that had only happened" statements. How could they not? We're all fans one way or another. The Super Bowl XLIV didn't exactly end up as I had planned either. Peyton Manning marched down that field one last time to take the lead like he always does in clutch situations and he did the last thing I would have expected him to do, choke. My favorite NFL quarterback of all time doesn't do that. But on the more positive side of things, The New Orleans Saints brought back their slowly recovering city a much needed, spirit-uplifting championship.
   Then came my favorite seasons to watch: Men's College Basketball and the NBA. Nothing made me more excited than to see my Duke Blue Devils and Coach K bring back another NCAA Championship. I'll watch any game if Duke is playing, no matter who it's against. It was about time they finally pulled together. Now on the other hand, who really watches the NBA during the regular season anyway? (Ok, maybe I snuck in a few late night TNT games because Charles Barkley is one of the most ridiculous people I've ever heard) Everyone knows the playoffs are the main attention drawer. The OKC Thunder fought hard but didn't stand a chance against to the two, seven feet tall posts of the Lakers. I thought this would be the year LeBron snagged one for Cleveland, but maybe his elbow wasn't too up for it this year? And yet again, the annoyingly good LA Lakers went back-to-back. Free agency talk completely annihilated every basketball fan this summer. Was there really an all-star league wide summit? And if so, who all actually attended? Was LeBron's hour long prime time special a little over the top? How ridiculous are the Miami Heat going to be and I can only wonder how many Heat band-wagon fans will now magically appear this upcoming season (including me, hey LeBron is my boy)? But all eyes were on John Wall as he glided through the summer league. How good will he really be when he almost pulls off a triple double with 10 turnovers a game?
   What happened to Tiger Woods? We all find out that he's a player (with other women, not just golf) and absolutely destroys his relationship status with his wife. Not only was that terrible, but golf was just as bad to watch without him there on the links. Don't get me wrong, I like watching and occasionally playing golf, but as I'm flipping through the channels and for some reason forget that there's a golf tournament going on that weekend, the first thing I look for is if Tiger is competing, and if he's not, then onto the next channel. He was, and is still my favorite golfer of all time. Now that doesn't mean I'm fine with what he did, but he's just amazing at what he does on the golf course (not to mention his video games are pretty sweet too) and I want to see nothing more than for him to regain his composure and begin to demolish opponents on the course once again some day.
   Baseball hasn't ever been a huge attention getter for me until the playoffs come around. Regular season games a pretty boring to watch unless you get an interesting matchup or if Stephen Strasburg is on the mound. The Yankees are my team, and yeah yeah I know, everyone likes the Yankees, well I've liked them ever since I was a boy and nothing's like watching C.C. and Rivera make batters look like a bunch of fools. I'm pushing for them to repeat.
   Oh yeah, Brett Farve. Heard today that he is deciding to retire. Wait, no, now he's not. Hold on, hold on, yeah he is for sure now. Nope, not yet. He's still good enough to play this game, but his decision making ability is worse than LeBron's.
   But as you can see, Americans today (or is it just me?) are surrounded by quality entertainment in sports and sports is what makes our mundane moments a little less plain. We get together with friends and family to root on our favorite teams, we fellowship with cookouts and barbecues, and frantically yell at that box in your living room that pours out time consuming sporting events. Why do we like them so much? I don't really know, we just do. It's that simple. Do we care how much it engulfs our mind and time? Eh, not really. So sit back and enjoy this time of continuous competition, whatever the sport may be and know that there's millions and billions out there doing the very same thing you are: rooting their favorite team or player onto victory.

Finally became a person who "blogs?"

2010-08-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

What am I supposed to do on this thing? I've read plenty of blogs before in the past and never once did I see myself as being a "blogger." It sounds so nerdy. What exactly do people put on here? How personal can you really get without it being ridiculous? Should I just talk about personal thoughts and opinions? Sports? Music? All I know is that at the end of today, August 7th, 2010, I will officially be a part of this social networking called "Blogging." I honestly don't know how long I could actually keep this up or if this will just become another "Xanga" or "Myspace" that eventually wore off entertainingly. Anyway, should I have to introduce myself? But how much can I really include in order for me to stay smart on the internet? Oh well here it goes:

"Hi, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Aaron. I'm just a college student who's majoring in Architecture. I love my God and everything that is about Him. He is my rock and I try to live for him the best that I can each and every day. I love Basketball and am a huge sports fanatic (except for Tennis and the WNBA). Music is my passion and can drift away the day while listening..."

...hold on hold on, this is starting to get a little too much like Myspace. Maybe I should stop. You've got the gist of things. So I guess I've come to a conclusion on what exactly I'll put on this thing. My random thoughts, personal opinions, ideas, goals--and sometimes I might get slightly ridiculous with all of this, but bare with me I'm new at this--and basically anything that's on my mind at that split second of time, no matter what it is. You will get me, no walls, zero boundaries, and vulnerable expressions that might not make sense to you at the time and may seem a bit extreme, but it'll be something that's important to me at that moment. My blog is titled "moments of exhilaration" for a reason. Everyday I experience a moment of happiness and gratification that my God exemplifies to me. A whisper of awesomeness and wonder brings chills up my spine on how incredible my God really is. On a side note, I also know for a fact that I'll have to talk about music, any kind of sport stories or occasions, TV, and of course, my friends and family. I have a beautiful life in front of me and I want to do nothing more than to share little glimpses of it with you. Read it if you want, but it's no biggie if you don't.